It’s a sad day for the Ottawa hip-hop community. Earlier today we learned that the recording artist black dip had died.
On Sunday, the Ottawa News reported that a man went missing Saturday night while kayaking on Lac Sainte-Marie in western Quebec. After a search by the Sûreté du Québec, a body was found Monday afternoon. Sadly, based on reports posted on social media by his friends, it appears to have been the body of Dip Black, one of the most respected songwriters in the National Capital Region. He also had one of the strongest work ethics around, with one of the biggest discographies in town (over 50 releases since 2019). In 2020, the Ottawa Citizen ranked him among the “the best Black Ottawa artists and creators you should know about.”
While Dip had released over 40 singles between 2020 and 2021 (28 in 2020 alone), he only had one official release this year with his February single, “Reload”, produced by 613Tino. He was also recently featured on Ottawa’s compilation album, Like us now or march lateron the popular “All Capital Anthem”.
Over the years, Dip Black has worked closely with producer/engineer/videographer Quest and his Dreamland Studios crew. He was featured in Quest’s Dreamland sessions series, and was also instrumental in helping Quest get it off the ground.
From a November 2020 interview we conducted with Quest:
“One day in July 2019, I was in the studio with Dip Black working on his album. The session went really well and we still had time to spare, so I pitched Dip the idea. from the Dreamland Sessions. He loved it!! And Dip is a great writer on the spot. So I started creating a beat and he started writing on his own. 16 bars is all you need , I told Dip. So in about 35 minutes the beat was done, the lyrics were written, recorded and the performance was filmed. Then I posted it 2 days later on my YouTube channel (Quest Dreamland) and immediately the movement has grown, especially in Ottawa, and that day I did 65, with the same concept on the spot, and I plan to do it to at least 1K of them.
Quest posted a message on Instagram earlier today, which gives you an idea of how he feels.
“I’ll take a moment… 💔 Thanks for the love
On social media, Dip started the SMOKE FREE FRIDAY series – which featured videos of Dip dropping the heat to the beats of Quest – and it reached episode 4 in a post in February. It’s the same message friends and fans now use to send their condolences; many naturally in disbelief.
I didn’t know Dip Black very well, but I had the chance to communicate with him a few times and I was always impressed by his dynamism and his professionalism. He has truly appreciated every ounce of support he has received from the community and it is heartbreaking that he has not had more time to pursue his dreams. There is no doubt that his vast network of friends and associates in the Ottawa hip-hop community (and beyond) will keep his memory alive.
Our condolences go out to Dip Black’s friends and family. Rest in peace.
